RELIGION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
In the past Religion was confined to the state now with religious freedom
everything has changed or at least started to change. In order for religion to
be in a private school now it is again trying to be in Public schools. People
ask "why can't freedom to acknowledge god be enjoyed again by children in every
schoolroom across this land?"S01T In the past, a long time ago children
always prayed before class started and before lunch. But things h ave changed,
"in 1791 the separation of church and state"S02T started. Although it was
made clear about the separation of the two "as late as 1951 some twenty states
permitted schools to begin the day by reading aloud a passage of the
bible."S03T Bu t that had to stop. People didn't have the same beliefs when
it comes to religion, if a family absent even believe in god why should their
child be forced to pray? On many different occasions questions similar to this
one were brought up and complained about. That is what started it all real
big.
When complaining, arguing and fighting all started over the silent moment. In
1978 a few lawyers got together and considered a constitutional law. The
original law said that public school teachers in gr ades 1-6 "shall announce
that a period of silence, not to exceed one minute, shall be observed for
meditation."S04T This law did not work for long, because it still allowed
oral prayer in public high schools. Later in 1981, the Alabama State Senator D
onald G. Holmes successfully passed a bill that included all grades calling it
"the moment of silence"S05T this law said that "the teacher (was) to announce
that the silent moment may be used for voluntary prayer."S06T Although it
would have to be si lent prayer. Even after this new law started the lawyers
that were opposed to this were trying to say that students "do not have a right
to pray in school"S07T silently or otherwise because of growing impressions
that affect their life. The silent mom ent supposedly "(forced) religion on
children."S08T I don't agree with that at all, if there has to be a moment of
silence then any child can use that moment however he or she wants, it does not
necessarily have to be used fro prayer. Usually "the chi ldren who have been
brought up with prayer or some type of religion are usually proven to be
better"S09T kids. I have friends who go to private schools where praying in
class out loud is perfectly O.K. and normal. This praying in the classroom
usually would have a pretty good size affect on the rest of a person's life.
Although when praying aloud it could force one type of religion on a student
rather than having them have more of a choice of what type of religion they
want or if they even want to ha ve a religion. When there would be the
religion in the classrooms. "School children not participating in the prayers
or the bible readings (would be) asked or required to leave the room."S010T
This has been another big dispute because the bill of rig hts states that there
shall be "freedom of religion"S011T therefore this means that if a person
does not believe in god or what ever the instance might be then they don't have
to. This means if you want to have any type of religion you may. The childr
en who are forced to leave the classroom to stand in the hall are forced to
make a statement that says "we do not believe in te god of te state (or) we do
not believe that prayer should be publicly displayed in a public
schoolhouse."S012T This was all thought to be by mainly every one all wrong,
therefore if a child wished not to participate in the pledge o allegiance or
what ever it might be they did not have to leave the classroom, stand silently
in the halls, or write a statement in stead they were allowed to just sit
quietly in their seats.
Religion in public schools would be good for certain students but the silent
moment is good enough for now. Since religion has been tried in public schools
and hasn't exactly worked, the groups of children who wish to have prayer
meetings with other school members are allowed to have meetings, groups, clubs,
ect. before, at lunch or after school.
"Religion (in the public schools) can change a persons life"S013T if a parent
wants their child to have religion they can send their child to a private
school and if a parent does not want their child to pressured in to having a
religion they should be able to send their child to a public school and if he
or she wishes to atend meetings then they can do so on their own.
Religion can change a person life sometimes for the better, but then again
sometimes for the worse, although the silent moment cannot affect anything
"freedom to acknowledge god in every school room across this land,"S014T
wouldn't al ways be a bad idea.
W1 BIBLIOGRAPHY
W0
"School Board Bans Open Forums to Prohibit a Student Group Prayer."\Christ Today\(February 1, 1985) 48-49.
Bosmajian, Haig. "To Pray or Not to Pray"\The Humanist Magazine,\(January/February, 198
5) 13-17.
Gest, Ted. "What High Court Heard About School Prayer."\U.S. News,\(December 17, 1984) 71.
Lewis, C. Anne. "Creeping Religiosity and Federal Education Policy."\PHI Delta Kappan,\(November, 1984) 163-164.
Roberts, Fransis. "The Uproar Over Sch
ool Prayer."\Parents,\(January 18,1985) 55-57.
W1 FOOTNOTES
W0
S01TFransis Roberts, "The Uproar Over School Prayer,"\Parents,\(November, 1984), p.38.
S02TRoberts, p.39.
S03TRoberts, p.38
S04TBeth Spring, "Can St
ates Allow Prayer in Public Schools?"\News World,\(January 18, 1985), p.56.
S05TSpring, p.57
S06TRoberts, p.38
S07TSpring, p.57
S08TTed Gest, "What High Court Heard About School Prayer,"\U.S. News,\(December 17, 1984), p.71
.
S09THaig Bosmajian, "To Pray or Not To Pray,"\The Humanist\(January/February, 1985), p.14.
S010TBosmajian, p.15.
S011TGest, p.71.
S012TBosmajian, p.15.
S013TAnne Lewis, "Creeping Religiosity and Federal Education
Policy,"\PHI Delta Kappan,\(November, 1984), p.163.
S014TRoberts, p.38
W1 THESIS
W0
Freedom to acknowledge God by children in every school room across this land
can sometimes but not always be acknowledged.